Animal Crackers
by Ivory-Bride
Summary: Frodo and Sam go for a picnic one sunny day! SLASH Fluff, some suggestive stuff, depending on how conservative you are... Nothing nasty. Just cute ^.^


Frodo Baggins woke to a strong ray of sunshine burning his eyes. He squinted, groaned, and pulled a blanket over his head. It must have been at least 9:00 in the morning. He had overslept- again. Muttering out his negative thoughts, he crawled out of bed and dressed, with some effort and too much energy. He smiled, and his heart lifted as he smelt the scent of freshly baked muffins coming from the kitchen. It was the only thing that dragged him from his room. Well, that and the anticipation of seeing Sam's smiling face in the morning.  
  
Just as expected, Samwise Gamgee was in the kitchen, humming as he removed a second batch of muffins from the oven.  
  
"Sam, you cooked?"  
  
Sam jumped and dropped the muffin he was holding. He apparently hadn't heard Frodo coming.  
  
"Oh! Mr. Frodo!" he turned red and picked up the sad muffin from the ground. Frodo smiled at him.  
  
"Yes, well.I just thought a muffin would taste good right about now, and I saw these really tasty blueberries in the garden, and- Oh, I do hope you don't mind my taking them!" Sam panicked, and looked with frightened, pleading eyes into Frodo's smile. It only grew wider.  
  
"I don't mind, Sam. As long as I can have a muffin." Frodo walked over to the window and took a deep breath of fresh air. He stared outside, thoughtfully before turning back to Sam, who was watching the muffins cool.  
  
"Sam, I have an idea. Let's go for a picnic for lunch. It's a beautiful day, and we need the fresh air. What do you say?"  
  
Sam's face brightened and he gave a wide grin.  
  
"That's a great idea, sir! I'll pack the picnic basket. Um.Where is it?"  
  
"Er. Actually, Sam.I don't have one."  
  
Sam gasped. "Don't have a picnic basket?!" Well that's just terrible!" he glanced around the room, looking for something to use, and spotted an old, but clean table clothe folded on the countertop.  
  
"We can wrap everything up in this and tie it with rope. You really don't have anything else to use." Frodo shrugged.  
  
"Well, I never thought I would need a picnic basket." Sam's startled expression made him re-think his words and he added quickly, "I'll buy the next one I see.  
  
He smiled as he watched Sam scramble from cabinet to closet, gathering jars and silverware and scurrying back to the table to place them neatly in the make-shift basket. The innocent young hobbit seemed so carefree.so eager to please his master. Frodo loved him for it. Not so much the service as the attitude. He loved the way Sam would run to his side to comfort him when he was troubled. He loved the way Sam's eyes shone with excitement when he carefully practiced reading aloud, and got into the stories, stopping every now and then to ask how to read a big word. He loved everything about his gardener, his Samwise.  
  
"Mr. Frodo?" Sam had tied up the 'picnic basket.' "We're all set." Frodo nodded.  
  
"All right then. Where should we go? The little river just south from here?"  
  
"That sounds good, sir. It's nice and shady, and has a rather calm feeling about it, if you get my meaning." Frodo smiled. Sam's eyes brightened and he smile back as his cheeks flushed pink. The two hobbits walked out the door and were soon on their way down the dirt path towards the river.  
  
The day was warm, and a light breeze drifted through the trees, rustling the leaves and blowing through the hair of the two young hobbits. It was a beautiful day. And being in each other's company just made things ten times better for the little ones. As they walked along the bank of the river, they kept an eye out for good picnic spots. Sam stayed some ways away from the river, preferring the shade of the trees to the scarily deep water. Frodo, however, being able to swim, walked nearer to the edge and occasionally peered over to watch some fish or a water lily. He stopped walking in the shade of a willow tree, where he could see the bottom of the riverbed.  
  
"Let's eat here, Sam," he suggested. "There's a lovely view, and we can soak our feet in the river here." Sam eyed the river, skeptically.  
  
"Is it safe, Mr. Frodo? Is there a current? I don't trust the water." Frodo smiled.  
  
"I know, Sam. It's fine. I wouldn't lead you into dangerous waters."  
Sam's eyes softened and he walked down to the bank, carefully. He gripped Frodo's arm and stood behind him as he peered over his shoulder and into the water. The water was shallow and probably would come up to Sam's waist, if he let it. Sam broke into a smile as he eyed a beautiful water lily floating atop the water.  
  
"Alright, then. We'll set up here. Under the willow, Mr. Frodo?" Frodo nodded.  
  
"Yes. In the shade." He helped Sam unpack, smiling at the jars of Sam's own strawberry jam and home-baked bread and muffins. A tiny wrapped bag lay in the corner of the cloth, but Sam wouldn't let Frodo open it just yet.  
  
The hobbits decided to wash up before eating, rinsing their hands in the crisp, cool river water. Frodo watched as Sam cupped his hands and drank a sip of the clear sweet water. A mischievous smile grew over his face as he watched Sam dawdle in the water, making ripples in it with his fingers, and familiarizing himself with it. He glanced again into the water. It was only waist deep, a tiny shove couldn't hurt. As Sam became entranced with the water, Frodo quietly moved closer to him.  
  
*~~Splash~~*  
  
Sam gave a startled yell as he fell face-first into the water. His head quickly surfaced, and he sputtered and spat water out of his mouth. Frodo was kneeling on the bank, quite pleased with himself.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, Sam. My hands just lost control and pushed you in for no reason!" he chuckled. "How's the water?" His grin quickly faded as the same mischievous glare came into Sam's eyes. Sam had a gentle smile, but his eyes could always give away that he was up to something. Frodo tried to stand up and run away, but his attempt came too late. Sam's foot found a hold on a rock in the bank of the river, and he boosted himself up to Frodo and grasped him firmly around the waist before toppling backwards into the water.  
  
Laughing and dripping wet, the hobbits surfaced. Sam's arms were still wrapped around his master, but neither hobbit noticed. They laughed together, amusing themselves but not noticing how close their bodies were. As the laugher subsided, they caught eye contact, and Sam noticed that his grip around Frodo was pulling the two closer. He blushed and dropped his arms to his sides. Both avoided eye contact, and they stood awkwardly for a few minutes, enveloped in thought.  
  
Sam shuffled his feet and watched a school of minnows fins a home in the seaweed. Frodo was rather uncomfortable in the silence. He looked up at Sam and smiled.  
  
"Sam, your hair's getting long," he said softly, lifting a hand and running it through Sam's dirty blonde curls. "You'll have to cut it. It'll get all tangled if it stays wet like this." His fingers lingered in Sam's hair, and he couldn't remove his gaze and his smile from the one he loved. They caught eye contact, and held their gazes. Frodo blushed as Sam closed his eyes and pressed his face to Frodo's palm, which had drifted to Sam's cheek. It was as if the world had stopped, and nothing else mattered, but they both wanted more. Sam took a step closer to Frodo and looked him in the eyes. Neither could look away, and Frodo saw something in Sam that had changed. There was a thoughtful, serious look that wasn't there before, and Frodo rather liked it. They both leaned in, and Frodo whispered, eyes half shut,  
  
"Sam."  
  
His words left him as the lips of the two hobbits touched, for the first time. Frodo's body relaxed and he felt Sam's hand take hold his own. He felt for the first time, something amazing that he had been missing out on his whole life: love. The soft touch of another, the silky taste of honey and clouds. Sam smelled like sunshine and blueberries. His eyelashes brushed against Frodo's cheek, and made him giggle like a child. Parting, Sam smiled at Frodo.  
  
"Sir, did you just giggle?" Frodo laughed and his heart burst with love and merriment. He wrapped his arms around Sam's neck and held him close. Another laugh left his mouth before he answered,  
  
"Yes Samwise, I believe I did."  
  
Sam laughed and kissed Frodo's forehead, then smiled down into his eyes. The mischievous gleam came back into Frodo's gaze, and he held Sam's waist and guided him backwards, leaning him against the bank of the river. Sam had a questioning look in his eyes. Frodo just smiled and pressed him against the riverbank, tracing the buttons on Sam's shirt with an outstretched finger. He looked up into Sam's face and whispered softly to him.  
  
"I never knew you felt this way." He gave Sam a short, gentle kiss then took a deep breath and laughed quietly, closing his eyes and enjoying the moment.  
  
Sam would have pulled him closer if he could have, but the two were already tightly enveloped in each other's arms. He kissed Frodo sweetly and deeply, on the lips. Their mouths lingered, and Frodo was lost in a whirling sense of wonder, and love. He smiled in wake of the kiss, and pressed his forehead to Sam's, kissing his nose.  
  
"Samwise Gamgee, I love you. With all my heart and soul." Sam blushed as Frodo pressed tiny kisses into his forehead, and cheeks, and nose.  
  
"I love you too, Mr. Frodo. I reckon I always have, and I always will."  
  
Frodo smiled at the words. He knew they came from the heart, as his own had. He ran a hand through Sam's hair, and glanced behind him, noticing the picnic blanket and all the food, lying alone.  
  
"Sam," he laughed "we never had lunch!" Sam gave Frodo a desperate smile, and kissed him deeply. His eyes told Frodo that he was longing for more. Frodo smiled.  
  
"Don't worry, we can continue this later." he said mischievously, kissing Sam on the neck. "But we do have to get to the food before the ants do." Sam laughed.  
  
"I suppose you're right, Mr. Frodo. Just don't leave me hanging, if you get my meaning, sir." Frodo smiled and kissed Sam gently, reassuring him.  
  
"Of course not. We're together now, and every day for the rest of our lives, will be like today."  
  
Sam's face brightened. He hugged Frodo closer and kissed him again.  
  
"Well then, let's eat. I've been wondering how my muffins came out."  
  
The hobbits climbed out of the river, sopping wet and sat or their blanket, creating rings of river water on the checkered cloth. Frodo reached for a muffin and buttered it as Sam watched, hopefully. He took a careful bite and chewed it thoughtfully, tasting each crumb and loving every bit.  
  
"Perfect," he said after he had swallowed. Sam beamed with pride, then reached for some bread and the strawberry jam. Frodo smiled and looked down, concentrating on buttering the rest of his muffin. When he looked back up, he laughed as Sam finished with the jam. He had somehow managed to get some not only on his bread, but also on his neck, cheeks, nose, and forehead.  
  
"Sam, you've gotten jam all over you! How did that happen?"  
  
Sam looked up, not realizing that he was covered in strawberry flavored stickiness. He touched his face, feeling for the jam, and accidentally smeared some more over his right cheek in the process.  
  
"Oh! Well I didn't even notice, I was just spreading some jam on this bread, then I got some on my fingers, and. well I had an itch on my neck, and scratched it, and I guess some jam got there, and then a fly landed on my nose, and I swatted it, and some jam got there, and then. Oh Elbereth, I'm covered, aren't I?"  
  
Frodo smiled, moving over to where Sam sat, eyes cast at the ground. He lifted his lover's chin and looked deep into his eyes. Smiling, he kissed Sam sweetly, then tilted his head slightly and kissed the jam off of Sam's neck. Sam blushed deep red, but didn't protest. Frodo looked back up into his eyes, searching for any sign that was he was doing was all right. Sam smiled, and Frodo knew that everything was just fine. He continued, kissing the taste of strawberries off of Sam's cheeks, nose and forehead.  
  
When the strawberry was gone, he was a bit disappointed, but he kissed Sam's lips, and his spirits lifted. The food sat alone again, forgotten as the two hobbits embraced and met new happiness. Wrapped in his lover's arms, Frodo felt safe and warm. He whispered loving words into Sam's ear, then stopped, as he saw something in the corner of his eye. The tiny package that Sam hadn't let him open was lying on the ground, abandoned.  
  
"Sam, what's in that little cloth?" he asked, pointing to the package. Sam turned to look at it, and smiled.  
  
"Oh, that? That was a surprise, but I suppose we could open it now." He handed the package to Frodo. "Here you go, sir. Open it!" he gave a secretive smile, and waited, patiently. Frodo raised an eyebrow and took the package. He untied the little bow and let the folds of cloth fall out of place. As the gift was revealed, he smiled and picked one up. In the middle of the cloth lay home made animal crackers.  
  
"Aren't they cute, Mr. Frodo? I made them myself!" Sam said proudly. Frodo laughed, examining the oliphaunt he had picked up.  
  
"They are cute, Sam. You shaped them yourself? That's quite a talent." He smiled and bit the head off of the oliphaunt.  
  
"Oh! Mr. Frodo, you killed it! The poor oliphaunt." Sam smiled and snatched the remaining piece away from Frodo. "We have to let him go where he pleases, so he can meet a lady oliphaunt and have little baby oliphaunts that I might see some day." Frodo smiled to himself. Sam had quite the imagination.  
  
"I don't think he will be going anywhere anytime soon, Sam," he said. "But if we leave him here and wait long enough, he may hop a ride on the back of an ant," he laughed.  
  
"Oh, nonsense Mr. Frodo. We'll let him choose his own path." And with that, he tossed the cracker into the air, letting it fall where it would. It landed on Frodo's head, but whether or not it landed there by Sam's will was a mystery. Frodo laughed, brushing it away, and it was knocked to the ground, promptly being retrieved by a laughing Sam.  
  
"Oh, Mr. Frodo, I didn't mean for it to fall on your head! Really! Just like you didn't mean to push me in the water."  
  
Frodo laughed and studied Sam's artistic rendering of another creature. After some time, he realized it was a dragon, with three legs, a deformed head, and one wing smaller than the other. Sam noticed the critical expression and snatched the dragon away, popping it into his mouth and causing Frodo to topple over, losing his balance after reaching for the cracker.  
  
"There was nothing wrong with my dragon! It was a beautiful thing!" he said with his mouth full.  
  
"Oh! A dragon?! Is that what it was? It looked like you do when you sleep in in the mornings!" Frodo teased. Sam just smiled sweetly, coming up with his own little joke.  
  
"Oh, but Mr. Frodo, it shouldn't look like me, I modeled it after the way you look when you've had too much ale!"  
  
Frodo laughed and threw an animal cracker at Sam's face, hitting his nose. Sam rescued it from the ground and threw it back, hitting Frodo's forehead. Laughing, giggling, and tackling ensued and Frodo tossed the cracker one last time. Sam caught it in his mouth and chewed it with a grin.  
  
"Hm." he said, "tastes like dirt. Maybe I shouldn't have let it fall to the ground like that."  
  
"Well if you hadn't tossed it at my head, it wouldn't have hit the ground," Frodo pointed out.  
  
"But if you hadn't dodged it, it wouldn't have missed you, and fallen in the dirt."  
  
"Why would I let it hit me?"  
  
"I don't know. You could have been feeling especially nice today."  
  
Frodo smiled. "Oh, I'm feeling nice today, just not nice enough to let you hit me with a dragon made out of cookie dough."  
  
"Well then you must not be feeling quite nice enough."  
  
Frodo smiled and leaned in close to Sam's face.  
  
"Would you like me to show you just how nice I'm feeling today?" he asked, giving Sam a quick kiss.  
  
"Yes, yes I would Mr. Frodo. How nice are you feeling today?" Sam smiled mischievously. Frodo grabbed him in his arms and kissed him deeply.  
  
"I'm feeling wonderful today. You've made me happier than I've ever been before. Thank you, Sam." He ran a hand through Sam's still-damp hair. "I love you." Sam smiled and looked deep into Frodo's eyes.  
  
"I love you, too," he whispered, then laughed as he thought of something. "I reckon our lives won't ever be the same now, will they?" he asked. Frodo laughed.  
  
"No, I suppose they won't. But I like things better this way." He held Sam close and rested his head on Sam's shoulder.  
  
"So do I, sir. So do I."  
  
The hobbits were happy and peaceful, resting in each others' arms. As the sun glistened off the water, they held each other and dreamt of the future. Happiness lay before their eyes, and they could lean in and kiss it anytime they wanted. 


End file.
